A Special Day for Pope Shion
by Lune Kuruta
Summary: Gen, fluff, light humor. Mu finds out that his teacher's birthday is coming soon. The future Gold Saints want to give the Pope good gifts, but they don't have any money. What are they going to do? Story written for the 9th round of the Secret Coconut, a fic exchange promoted by the community Saint Seiya Super Fics Journal.
1. The Meaning of a Gift

**Title:** A Special Day for Pope Shion - Chapter 1

 **Author:** Lune Kuruta

 **Fandom:** Saint Seiya

 **Rating:** G

 **Word Count:** 2690 (this chapter)

 **Characters:** Aries Mu, Pope Shion, Gemini Saga, Sagittarius Aiolos, and others.

 **Genres:** Gen, fluff, light humor

 **Summary:** Mu finds out that his teacher's birthday is coming soon. The future Gold Saints want to give the Pope good gifts, but they don't have any money. What are they going to do?

 **Warnings:** Author chooses not to warn.

 **Disclaimer:** Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation. All rights reserved.

 **Notes:** Story written for the Secret Coconut, a fic exchange promoted by the community Saint Seiya Super Fics Journal (chapter originally published on **September 22, 2014** ).

* This fic is set before the beginning of the series, and the Gold Saints are still apprentices (therefore, they're not Saints yet). Aiolos and Saga are 13 years old; Deathmask, Shura and Aphrodite are 9; and Mu, Aldebaran, Aiolia, Shaka, Milo and Camus are 6. The younger ones might act a little more "mature" than typical 6 years-olds, but well… they're prodigies, anyway x.x

* Because of the time the story is set in, I've decided to give different names to some characters. Deathmask will be called " **Angelo** " (because I think that he would only change his name after getting his cloth, since it would be an inappropriate nickname for a child). Aldebaran will be called " **Antonio** " (because he would only become "Aldebaran" after getting the Taurus Cloth, thus honoring the previous Taurus Saints-I've borrowed this tradition from "The Lost Canvas". I hope you don't mind).

* By the way, any mentions to the past (Holy War, previous Saints and the such) come from LC!canon (therefore disregarding "Next Dimension").

* Revised by **Vane**. Thank you very much! :3

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1 - THE MEANING OF A GIFT**

That could be just an ordinary day for all those boys at the Coliseum. Training, improving themselves, getting ready for the important test they were about to take.

Oh, just for the record... An ordinary day, indeed, but not ordinary boys. Not at all.

They were not common apprentices. Those kids had been chosen to fulfill the most important role in Athena's Army: they were getting ready to become Gold Saints.

After years training in different countries with their respective teachers, those eleven boys finally met in the Sanctuary. They now lived in a special lodge for the "Chosen Ones" and shared the Coliseum every day. Sometimes, their teachers were allowed to enter that area for help, but most of the time their pupils practiced by themselves along with the other aspirants. That was an important part of their preparation: standing for their independence. They also had to deal with sporadic missions, but stayed in the Sanctuary most of the time.

Saga - the future Gemini Saint-and Aiolos - aiming for the Sagittarius Cloth - were kind of responsible for the other apprentices, as they were the oldest ones. Plus, they were "at home," since they' had grown up in the Sanctuary. They were both wise and good-hearted, and the younger ones could always count on them for support, like "big brothers."

That day, Aiolos noticed that one of the pupils seemed to be sad and contemplative. Mu, the Aries apprentice, spent three days in a mission in Asia and looked like he had just arrived. He was sitting on a bleacher and didn't seem to want to join his colleagues. He was usually a quiet child, indeed, but not _that_ much. Worried about his mood, Aiolos approached him.

"Hey, Mu, are you okay?"

"Hmm?..." Mu stared at the older one for a moment. "Oh, good morning, Aiolos."

"Sorry, I didn't see you in the lodge this morning. You've just arrived from your mission, right? Was there any problem?"

"I'm only a bit tired, but fine. I just went to Rozan to take some supplies to the Libra Saint, as my teacher asked me to do, and didn't have a problem. I came back earlier this morning but needed to hand in my report."

Mu's teacher was none other than the Pope himself. He was one of the only two apprentices who could meet their teachers more frequently. The other one was the future Leo Saint, Aiolia, who happened to be Aiolos' younger brother and pupil.

"Ah, I see! You're hungry, then!"

"Thank you for worrying about me, but I'm fine. I've already eaten some apples."

"So, what's the problem, Mu?" Aiolos sat beside him. "You look sad." He scratched his hair, thinking for a while, and suddenly had a guess. "Ooh, sorry! I saw that in our list at the lodge, but totally forgot about it this morning! Today's your birthday, right? Happy birthday!" Then Aiolos hugged Mu as tightly as his hugs always used to be.

That move attracted the attention of the other pupils, who approached them.

"What's going on?" Aiolia seemed curious.

The Scorpio pupil, Milo, rolled his eyes. "Didn't you check the list on the wall today? It's Mu's birthday!"

"Here we go again…" Camus, the Aquarian, was already used to the constant quarrels between Milo and Aiolia. "Milo, if I hadn't told you that this morning, you wouldn't remember it either."

"Of course I would!"

"Quit fighting, guys!" The Taurean apprentice, Antonio, intervened in the discussion, and Milo and Aiolia stopped arguing. He was the tallest child, almost as tall as Saga and Aiolos even thoughhe was seven years younger. Despite being overall a friendly boy, his size imposed some respect. "Well, happy birthday, Mu!"

"Yeah, yeah, happy birthday, little ram", Aphrodite, the Pisces apprentice, chanted in a monotonous voice. "Now can we start training? Or we're going to have a party right here?"

"Don't be so mean!", Aiolos said. "C'mon, cheer up, Mu! We all wish you a happy birthday full of blessings!"

"Thank you, guys." Mu even gave them a shy smile, but still seemed to be upset.

"I see." Saga finally revealed his own conclusion. "You're sad because your teacher isn't here, right?"

Mu blushed a little.

"Ooooh, _sooooo_ cute!" The Cancer pupil mocked him.

Saga didn't pay Angelo any attention. "I heard that Pope Shion is meditating at Star Hill," he continued. "That's probably why you didn't meet him this morning. Don't be sad. I am sure that he'll come to see you as soon as he returns."

Mu looked at his colleagues for a while, apparently wondering if he should tell them something. "I understand, Saga. I'm fine with that. He is the Pope and has a lot of responsibilities. To tell you the truth, I'm just thinking about something Roshi told me back in Rozan."

Even Aphrodite seemed to be curious with that new information. By that time, all the apprentices had sat on the bleachers.

"So, what did he say?" The Capricornian apprentice, Shura, broke the silence.

"Well, I went to Rozan with some supplies for Roshi. Usually a soldier would do that, but this time my teacher wanted me to go instead. That could be a test for my telekinetic skills."

"You say some difficult things, you know!" Aiolia scratched his head, but nobody cared.

"When I arrived and finally met him, Roshi invited me for tea. He is a good man. He told me some stories from his boyhood alongside my teacher. But when I was about to leave, he gave me a package. He asked me to deliver it to my teacher, but he could only open that on Friday. That's when I finally discovered that March 30 is my teacher's birthday!"

"Does he still celebrate his birthdays? Gosh, how old is he?" Milo wondered.

"That makes sense," Saga said. "If Pope Shion is the former Aries Saint, then his birthday would have to be around these days, indeed."

"And Roshi sent him a gift even though he's isolated in Rozan. But I don't have anything to give to my teacher. I don't have any money. What should I do? I'd really like to give him something..."

"Now I see why you're so concerned." Aiolos sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't have any money either, you know. Our supplies are provided directly by the Sanctuary."

"Maybe we could ask someone to lend us some money!" Antonio seemed excited. "We could buy him something simple, but he'll certainly be happy that we remembered his birthday. What could this gift be?"

"Some clothes, for sure," Aphrodite suggested. "Looks like he doesn't have anything other than those awful robes!"

"We could give him a new denture!" Aiolia gave his opinion. "I mean, he _does_ use one, doesn't he?"

"I-I don't know…" Mu seemed confused for a while. "But I couldn't afford a denture, anyway."

"I don't understand…"

That low voice surprised the apprentices, who turned their attention to the Virgo boy, Shaka. He was usually a quiet, meditative child, who used to keep his eyes always closed for some reason. Most of the pupils had almost forgotten about his presence.

Since everybody stopped talking, Shaka proceeded: "Why do you celebrate this kind of date? I mean, another year in our lives has just passed by, which means that our time left on Earth is a bit… shorter than before. That should not be a problem, since we're all doomed to leave this material world someday, but most people don't like to think about their own finite nature… or do they?"

Milo shuddered. "Gosh, Shaka! Sometimes you say scary things, you know."

"Well, uhn… You're right, Shaka," Aiolos said gently. "But birthdays can also remind us that we should celebrate life as a gift. It all depends on the way we look at it. So, we celebrate all the good moments we've already lived, with the love and the affection of our friends, and hope for even better days in the future."

"Oh."

"Brilliant! Will we have a party, then?"

"I'm sorry, Antonio, but we can't," Saga answered him before Aiolos got too excited at the idea. "We are not allowed to do such things. And he is the Pope, he has no time for parties."

"That's why I wanted so bad to give him a gift!" Mu looked down at his feet. "But I can't buy him anything."

Shaka's low voice surprised them once again. "Why don't you make him a gift instead?"

"What do you mean?"

"Birthdays are about affection, right? But what kind of affection could you convey through an object you just bought?" Shaka gave him a light smile. "Give him your _time_ , Mu. I am sure that he'll appreciate your effort. And time is such a precious thing in our ephemeral lives," he added in a thoughtful tone.

"Weeeeird!" Angelo tried to mock the Virgo, but nobody laughed with him. Although Shaka had some unusual habits, the other apprentices had learned to respect him for the rare wisdom he had at such a young age.

"Well, that's a good idea, Shaka!" Saga approved the suggestion. "Let's think about gifts we could do by ourselves until Friday."

"But what about our training?" Shura objected.

Saga hesitated, but Aiolos answered instead. "We can spend _part_ of that time with this, Shura. Take it easy, this is a special occasion, right?"

"Hm. If you say so..."

"I'm gonna give him a drawing!"

"Hey! That was _my_ idea!"

"Aiolia, Milo, please stop it," Camus said wearily.

Shaka suddenly frowned and turned to a point at the top of the bleachers, looking intrigued.

"Is there anything wrong, Shaka?" Aiolos asked.

Shaka just shook his head, but he still looked confused.

Saga stared at the same point with a mysterious expression. "Let's resume our training now. We'll get back to this matter later."

 **000**

After their usual morning activities, the apprentices were free to think about their gifts in the afternoon.

Bringing a list of requests, Aiolos went to the apprentice's elementary school in the Sanctuary to fetch some materials for his colleagues: paper, pencils, crayons, brushes and more. He thought that creating hand-made gifts could be a nice experience for them, since it would boost their creativity.

Some pupils used the opportunity to get their own materials. Antonio came back to the lodge carrying a heavy piece of argil; Aphrodite brought leaves and flowers he had found in the woods; Shaka came back with lots of beads; Mu brought with him a bag full of pure, white sand from the Sanctuary's coastline.

The lodge would now become their _atelier_. Despite the mess, the pupils seemed to be quite concentrated in their tasks, and even Milo and Aiolia behaved surprisingly well.

Aiolos claimed their attention. "Okay, everyone, here we have everything we'll need to make our gifts. We'll do that tomorrow, so we can spend all day at it if we need to. Now we have some Mythology homework for this afternoon, so let's get our books and study!"

"Aaaahhhh…" the kids whined in unison.

"Don't be sad. Tomorrow we'll have a lot of fun!"

"Wait, where is Saga?" Camus asked. Saga used to help the children with the homework, and his absence was finally noticed.

"Uhn… I don't know. I invited him to help me get the materials at the school, but he refused. He must be solving some problem elsewhere. Well, never mind! I can help you too, kids!"

Although he tried to cheer the kids up, the fact was that Aiolos was intrigued as well. But that was not the first time that Saga mysteriously disappeared in the afternoon, so Aiolos didn't get too worried about that. Saga would come back before sunset, as always.

 **000**

The Sanctuary might be kept secret from civilians, but it was huge. Forests, gardens, training areas, lodges, streams, a beach and even a neighboring village, Rodorio, were part of its domains. Most of its inhabitants wouldn't dare say that they knew it in full.

But he wouldn't get lost. Saga was so used to the woods that he could cross them with both eyes closed.

After walking for a while, passing through dense bush areas, he finally spotted a humble shack. Saga simply walked into the hut without even announcing himself. He didn't need to.

"Just in time! Want some coffee?" The familiar voice echoed inside the two-room lodge.

"Your coffee is terrible, you know." Saga smirked at the other boy.

A thirteen-year-old boy identical to him. "But you love it anyway!"

Saga stared at his twin brother. He was sitting on one of the only two chairs around the small table close to the stove. The few dishes were disposed along with some provisions in a simple shelf on the wall beside it.

Everything was much simpler than the apprentices' lodge where Saga lived. A single bed at the opposite corner and a cabinet-in which clothes and books were stored together-completed the little furniture. The only door besides the entrance led to a cramped bathroom.

"Kanon…" Saga returned to his serious expression, sitting on the chair across from his brother. "You went to the training arena this morning."

That was not a question, and Kanon was fully aware of it. "Well, I just got curious." Kanon shrugged. "But don't worry, nobody has seen me, as usual."

"But Shaka noticed a different presence in there. Kanon, you can't risk yourself this way. Pope Shion said that you must stay here, hidden."

"And training alone, I know." Kanon didn't seem to like his situation.

"You know I don't like this situation either. But this is all we have for now."

Kanon got up and walked around the room, avoiding his brother's eyes. Saga didn't break the silence, as he knew that Kanon needed to calm down a little before continuing that conversation.

Kanon finally sat on the chair again and sighed. "Tell me, what were you doing there, anyway? What were you talking about?"

Saga told Kanon about Shion's birthday on Friday, and his brother laughed jeeringly. "Oh, _soooo_ cute! Let's give gifts to the old ram! Can I give him a piece of wood with a heartshape on it?"

"Don't talk like that, Kanon."

"Meh! I don't even know that he still celebrates his birthday. He must be a thousand years old! And why would I give him something, anyway? He keeps me here, away from you! Like I'm just a shadow, or worse! I don't care about him!"

"Don't you?" Saga said gently. "Well, you should. Thanks to the Pope, you're still alive, remember? We're twins, and people don't see twins as a good omen. But we have the opportunity to become Saints! Thanks to him, you have a home in the Sanctuary and we can still see each other. You can develop your skills and stay with me… even if only for a few hours."

"Saga…"

"Are you worried about the Gemini Cloth? If so, I'll give up on it and you can keep it. I don't care! All I know is that, as harder as this situation may be, it could have been even worse. You know that Pope Shion can't revoke the Sanctuary's laws without Athena here. But I am sure that he'll help us with that when She arrives. And I know he even comes over to visit you sometimes. So, he doesn't really ignore your existence. Don't blame it on him. This is our fate, but thanks to him, we can handle it." Saga took Kanon's hands in his. "Always together, remember?"

"Okay, okay." Kanon seemed a little embarrassed. "But I won't make him anything!"

"You don't need to." Saga gave him a broad smile, then finished his coffee.

Kanon stood. "Enough of that. Let's go to the beach. Ready for training? I'm sure I'll beat you this time!"

When Saga came back to the apprentices' lodge, hours later, Aiolos questioned him about his salty scent and wet hair and clothes, but he only replied with a smile. The satisfied smile of a boy who had had a great time. And he gave no further answers, as usual.

 _TO BE CONTINUED..._

* * *

 **Additional notes:**

Hi, everyone! This is my final gift for **Boolafaz**!

This fic is a special one for me, I guess. Tecnically, this is not my first English fic, but the one I wrote for the Internet Challenge was easier because of its simpler structure. Actually, my participation in that challenge was intended to prepare me for writing this fic (but I couldn't reveal that before XDDD).

What can I say? The moment I saw that prompt, I simply fell in love with it! XD I really love fanfics starring the "Chibi Goldies", and that idea was so lovely! *-* But I was afraid of claiming it because I'd never written an English fic before. But after getting some encouragement, I decided to give it a try.

To be honest, I'd planned to write a one-shot only about Shion receiving the gifts, but I'm too wordy! x.x And I wanted to explain things a little better, and the story was getting longer… I hope that you'll like this fic, anyway =3

Do you like my characterizations for them? I hope they aren't too OOC x.x Milo and Aiolia can't stop arguing… =P Shaka is quite mature for a 6 y.o. boy, but I thought that since he's already been through his training in India, by now he must have had the time to reflect about the human condition, death and so on (taking into account that flashback in the Hades' arc). Maybe the "birthday celebration" idea would sound a bit weird for him. Also, I thought of a Brazilian writer, Rubem Alves, who once wrote a beautiful essay about that topic.

I had to include Kanon here. First, because he is among your favorite characters, and also because I thought that he must be there, after all. But, while I wrote his scene with Saga, I was afraid that his participation might leave a "bittersweet" taste in the fic, taking into account their future (in the series). If it did, I am really sorry about that, for it was not my intention x.x

I would like to thank **Vane** and **Anita** for all the support and patience. Thank you so much, girls! You're amazing!

In the next chapter, our beloved (future) Goldies will make their gifts, but something will go wrong for one of them. Stay tuned!

 _Kissus,_

 **Lune Kuruta**

* * *

 **NOTE:** I'll be posting one chapter per day, so... the second chapter will be online tomorrow. Thanks for reading! **(July 15, 2015)**


	2. Sand, Ink and Water

**Title:** A Special Day for Pope Shion - Chapter 2

 **Author:** Lune Kuruta

 **Fandom:** Saint Seiya

 **Rating:** G

 **Word Count:** 1588 (this chapter)

 **Characters:** Aries Mu, Pope Shion, Gemini Saga, Sagittarius Aiolos, and others.

 **Genres:** Gen, fluff, light humor

 **Summary:** Mu finds out that his teacher's birthday is coming soon. The future Gold Saints want to give the Pope good gifts, but they don't have any money. What are they going to do?

 **Warnings:** Author chooses not to warn.

 **Disclaimer:** Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation. All rights reserved.

 **Notes:** Story written for the Secret Coconut, a fic exchange promoted by the community Saint Seiya Super Fics Journal (chapter originally published on **September 23, 2014** ).

* This fic is set before the beginning of the series, and the Gold Saints are still apprentices (therefore, they're not Saints yet). Aiolos and Saga are 13 years old; Deathmask, Shura and Aphrodite are 9; and Mu, Aldebaran, Aiolia, Shaka, Milo and Camus are 6. The younger ones might act a little more "mature" than typical 6 years-olds, but well… they're prodigies, anyway x.x

* Because of the time the story is set in, I've decided to give different names to some characters. Deathmask will be called " **Angelo** " (because I think that he would only change his name after getting his cloth, since it would be an inappropriate nickname for a child). Aldebaran will be called " **Antonio** " (because he would only become "Aldebaran" after getting the Taurus Cloth, thus honoring the previous Taurus Saints-I've borrowed this tradition from "The Lost Canvas". I hope you don't mind).

* By the way, any mentions to the past (Holy War, previous Saints and the such) come from LC!canon (therefore disregarding "Next Dimension").

* Revised by **Vane**. Thank you very much! =3

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2 - SAND, INK AND WATER**

The next morning, the apprentices only had a light physical training session before finally getting to make their gifts.

"Have you decided what to do?" Saga asked them. After the positive answers, he continued his instructions. "Great! So, let's try not to mess the lodge up, okay? After using anything, put it back in the right place so your mates will be able to find it and use it too. No need to hurry; today it's Wednesday and we have plenty of time until Friday."

"And remember, the most important thing here is to give something that reflects our feelings and our nature," Aiolos added. "Pope Shion will acknowledge our efforts, no matter what. So, let's have fun!"

"Yaaaaay!" The children celebrated and started working on their gifts.

Aiolia was curious. "What are you doing, 'Tonio?"

"I'm going to build a statue," the Taurean answered him while manipulating the argil with wet hands, slowly giving it a recognizable shape. "I'm not sure yet, but I think I'll make an ox, so he'll remember me!"

"Ooh, sounds good! I'll draw a lion, then! A great, shiny and powerful lion!"

"Don't tell me." Aphrodite sneered beside them. He was gluing leaves and petals in a sheet. "I'm making a collage, you know. And maybe I'll also give him a _bouquet_..."

"ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"... that will _obviously_ be made of normal roses, not poisoning ones!" Aphrodite added, somewhat offended.

"I don't know what to give to the old ram." Angelo scribbled randomly on the sheet in front of him. "Hm… Maybe I could hunt a deer or something, and he could decorate his bedroom with its head!"

"That's gross!"

"What can I do if you can't understand my unique artistic sense?"

Shura was methodically drawing on his sheet, creating a pencil sketch first. He seemed to be too focused to participate in the conversation. Camus was also concentrated, painting something the other children were not capable of understand by that time. Once in a while, all he would say was something like, "Saga, are you using the azure ink yet?"

"No, I've already finished that part. Here, take it."

"Thank you."

That made Aiolos curious. "Oh, are you painting, Saga?"

"Not really, but when I'm done here, you'll see it." Saga looked at what his friend was doing. "Are you writing?"

"Yeah!" Aiolos sounded excited. "I'll give Pope Shion a book!"

"A book? So we'll finally have some extra room on the bookshelf! Great news!" Aphrodite couldn't miss that opportunity.

Even Shaka, who usually disapproved Aphrodite's venomous words, seemed to pay some attention to that topic and looked up from his beads. "Uhn, are you getting rid of some of your books?"

"No, I won't give him a book of mine. I'll _create_ one!" Aiolos explained his idea. "I'll fold these sheets… like this… and there! This will be the cover! And then I'll write something for him."

"That's a good idea, 'Los!" Aiolia smiled at his older brother. "Can you make me one later? But with a lot of pictures!"

"Sure!"

"And the pure love of the 'Ai-Ai brothers' strikes again." Angelo looked up from his sheet. "Hey, Milo, won't you say anything about this?"

Although his original intention had been to stir up a fight, Angelo's words had a different effect: the apprentices finally noticed Milo's absence.

"Wait, where is Milo?" Saga scanned the lodge, searching for the Scorpio pupil.

"That's why everything was so quiet until now," Antonio said as he looked around. "But Milo was right here just minutes ago!"

"He _left_ some minutes ago." Camus didn't even look up from his own painting. "He was carrying a bag and said that he would make his gift outside."

"A bag?" Aiolia frowned. "But I thought he was going to draw something."

"No, he won't."

"So what is he going to do?"

"None of our business."

"Gee, Camus!"

"Okay, kids, that's enough!" Saga tried to avoid even more confusion. "Let's keep working on our gifts. I am sure that Milo is fine."

"Maybe he just wanted some inspiration," Mu said quietly. He was putting portions of his white sand in bottles.

Saga watched his actions with interest. "What are you going to do, Mu?"

"I'm coloring this sand," Mu answered while adding some tempera paint powder to the bottles, each with a different color, and capping them. Then, he shook the bottles carefully, mixing the colored powder with the sand.

After coloring the sand in all the bottles, Mu used a brush to spread glue on a sheet of paper. By that time, most of the apprentices were watching while Mu gently sprinkled maroon sand in that area. After waiting for a little, he carefully dumped off the excess sand and proceeded patiently, spreading more glue on another area of the sheet and picking another bottle.

Minutes later, a beautiful landscape started to take form.

"This is amazing, Mu!" Aiolos smiled. "You're drawing with sand! What are you drawing?"

"My teacher always says that he loves Jamir in early Spring," Mu answered, continuing his work. "I'm trying to draw that."

Saga cheered him up. "I'm sure he'll love this."

Mu smiled back. "I hope so."

 **000**

Thursday morning felt even longer, as the apprentices were eager to resume their work on their gifts. After lunch, they went back to the lodge for the final arrangements.

"Here, Antonio," Mu handed him the sculpture. "It hardened after a few minutes in the forge, but it didn't crack. You can paint it now."

"Thank you, Mu."

"Hey, where's your gift?" Aiolia questioned Milo.

He blushed a little, visibly irritated. "That's none of your business."

"Why so mysterious?!"

"Why so curious?"

Aiolos tried to calm them down. "Okay, okay, stop that. Let's get everything done. Tomorrow is the great day!"

"Yaaay!"

The kids were pretty excited. Would the Pope like their gifts? Would he punish them for not training properly during his absence? Who knew?

If the morning felt like a year, the afternoon seemed to fly away. But, by the evening, all gifts were finally done, arranged side by side in the large bedroom-and Milo's hidden in a bag.

"Okay, let's go sleep now so we can wake up earlier tomorrow," Saga instructed them. "Pope Shion always comes down to the Coliseum to see us after returning from his meditations in Star Hill. So, if he reappears tomorrow, we must be ready. We'll bring our gifts to the arena."

"Let's take a bath before training, this is an important occasion," Aiolos added.

"Why take a bath if we're gonna sweat anyway?" Angelo complained.

"Don't be a piggy!" Aiolos laughed. Angelo was definitely not fond of water. "I'm gonna turn the lights off now!"

The bedroom went into darkness, but Mu couldn't sleep. He was nervous about his teacher's reaction. Would he appreciate his gift? What if he got angry? What if Mu had bought something instead?

He vaguely heard somebody getting up from the bed, leaving the room and coming back into the dark a few minutes later, then bumping into another person.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Aiolia whispered.

"I brought some water," Milo answered. "The jar was empty. What are _you_ doing?"

"I was going to do the same. Give it to me, I'm thirsty!"

"No, I brought it, so I'll drink it first!"

"Give me that!"

"Drop it!"

The distinctive, _liquid_ sound of water being dropped echoed through the room, and Mu's heart skipped a beat. After a few seconds of shocked silence...

"Look at what you did, Aiolia! That was _your_ fault!"

"No, that's yours!"

"By Athena, what's going on here?" Aiolos got up from his bed, a serious tone in his voice. "Go get some sleep!"

When Aiolos turned the lights on, another moment of silence.

"I'm sorry." Aiolia's voice was almost a whisper. "I didn't mean to, I only wanted to drink some water… I'm truly sorry, Mu!"

"Enough! Why can't you get along better? You two are always fighting! You need a punishment, you know."

While Aiolos continued scolding Milo and Aiolia, with Saga's support, Mu finally took a deep breath and looked at the scene.

His sand drawing, such a beautiful landscape, was totally soaked now. It would be impossible to fix it, and he didn't have any colored sand left to make another before the next day.

Aiolia tried to help his colleague. "I'm really sorry, Mu… You can give my gift to him!"

Antonio, who woke up with all that noise, tried to cheer Mu up. "We can help you make another gift tonight!"

"That's… that's okay… You don't need to…" Despite his serene words, Mu's voice trembled. Before anyone could say anything else, he ran away.

"Mu!" Aiolos tried to follow him, but a small voice called him back before he could leave the room.

"Let him go," Shaka said. He was sitting on his bed, perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened around him.

"But Shaka, it's getting late! Mu is sad, nervous, who knows what he's going to do?"

"Mu is almost a Gold Saint by now. He will be fine. He just needs some time to reflect."

Aiolos sighed. Although Shaka's words made sense, he couldn't help being worried about Mu.

Saga put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Shaka is right. Mu probably needs a moment on his own. Let's trust him."

Hours later, the very first rays of sunlight came in through the windows. But Mu's bed remained empty.

 _TO BE CONTINUED..._

* * *

 **Additional notes:**

Hi there, second chapter on! I hope you're liking it so far, Boolafaz!

This chapter was just a transition, and I chose not to reveal all the gifts right now. But you'll learn all about them in the next installment! Why is Milo hiding his gift away? What was Saga actually doing? Will Angelo take a bath? (XD)

Regarding Mu's gift, please don't kill me, people! I promise that there will be no big drama or something like that… x.x Just a little bit of tension XD

Next chapter, Pope Shion will finally get (even) older! =P

 _Kissus,_

 **Lune Kuruta**

* * *

 **NOTE:** Next chapter will be published here tomorrow. I would like to thank you for the fav and follow, and I hope that you'll still appreciate this humble story. Thanks for reading! **(July 16, 2015)**


	3. A Special Morning

**Title:** A Special Day for Pope Shion - Chapter 3

 **Author:** Lune Kuruta

 **Fandom:** Saint Seiya

 **Rating:** G

 **Word Count:** 4037 (this chapter)

 **Characters:** Aries Mu, Pope Shion, Gemini Saga, Sagittarius Aiolos, and others.

 **Genres:** Gen, fluff, light humor

 **Summary:** Mu finds out that his teacher's birthday is coming soon. The future Gold Saints want to give the Pope good gifts, but they don't have any money. What are they going to do?

 **Warnings:** Author chooses not to warn.

 **Disclaimer:** Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation. All rights reserved.

 **Notes:** Story written for the Secret Coconut, a fic exchange promoted by the community Saint Seiya Super Fics Journal (chapter originally published on **September 24, 2014** ).

* This fic is set before the beginning of the series, and the Gold Saints are still apprentices (therefore, they're not Saints yet). Aiolos and Saga are 13 years old; Deathmask, Shura and Aphrodite are 9; and Mu, Aldebaran, Aiolia, Shaka, Milo and Camus are 6. The younger ones might act a little more "mature" than typical 6 years-olds, but well… they're prodigies, anyway x.x

* Because of the time the story is set in, I've decided to give different names to some characters. Deathmask will be called " **Angelo** " (because I think that he would only change his name after getting his cloth, since it would be an inappropriate nickname for a child). Aldebaran will be called " **Antonio** " (because he would only become "Aldebaran" after getting the Taurus Cloth, thus honoring the previous Taurus Saints-I've borrowed this tradition from "The Lost Canvas". I hope you don't mind).

* By the way, any mentions to the past (Holy War, previous Saints and the such) come from LC!canon (therefore disregarding "Next Dimension").

* Revised by **Vane**. Thank you very much! =3

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3 - A SPECIAL MORNING**

He was a bit tired, but otherwise fine. Meditating in Star Hill was more like a privilege than a duty for him, and he had no idea of how long he had been there.

Shion bathed fast, as he probably had important issues to deal with. As soon as he walked into his office, someone gently knocked on the door. Altar Arles, his most trusted counselor and the man who took care of the Sanctuary in his absence, entered the room. There was no real need of bowing down or wearing masks, as they were more friends or "brothers at heart" than Pope and servant.

"Good morning, Arles."

"Good morning, sir. Don't you need some rest?"

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. Did anything important happen in my absence?"

"Everything was surprisingly calm, sir. You only need to sign some documents, and they're on your desk."

"I see. Did Mu come back from China already?"

"Oh, yes. You'll find his report on the desk as well. And…" Arles got closer, handing Shion a package. "Mu brought me this. As it didn't seem to be urgent, but rather personal, I preferred to keep it with me and giving it straight to you instead of leaving it here. I hope you don't mind."

"A package from Dohko?" Shion scanned the package, spotting a note on it. "'Open on March 30'. Wait, today is-"

"March 30. Happy birthday, sir. May Athena give you a long, happy life!"

"Oh…" Shion seemed amused. "Now I see it! Well, thank you!"

"That's another reason for taking the day off after signing those documents, don't you think?"

"Could be. But these are importante days, Arles, and the Sanctuary needs me. Anyway, I need to go to the Coliseum to check in on our future Gold Saints. Especially Mu."

"He understands, sir. I've granted him the best wishes in your name."

Shion smiled. "Thank you again, Arles. I'll hand back all these documents by noon. Oh, please Arles, I need a favor: could you please ask the servants to serve breakfast for two in my room?"

"With cake and a lot of cookies, I presume?"

"Exactly," Shion smiled behind the mask.

"This will be arranged. With your permission, sir..." Bowing respectfully as a farewell, Arles left Shion alone in the office, giving him some privacy.

After Arles's departure, Shion took off his mask and turned his attention to the package in his hands, finally opening it. It contained a letter and a wood box. The Pope put aside the box, reading the letter first. He could recognize the same nice handwriting his all-life friend had always had, and smiled at the paper, nostalgic.

 _Dear Shion,_

 _How are you, my friend? How are things going in the Sanctuary? I hope that everything is okay. I am fine. Things here are calm as always, you know. The seal remains strong, the waterfalls are still flowing… The world seems to be fine._

 _I know I haven't been writing as regularly as I used to, but the fact is that it gets harder and harder to write a letter when you don't have anything new to tell. Or, rather, all I do is reply to your letters, so I don't have much to say. Oh, please, don't misunderstand me, I'm not complaining at all! I know that you must have been really busy! But I can't deny that I miss talking to you._

 _But well, I'm writing to you now._

 _When we get older, time seems to flow in a different manner, you know. Sometimes a year passes by and I don't even notice, while others may pass slowly. I'm not really sure if that happens to you too, because you have a calendar to follow and guide our daily tasks, but still. I've got used to track the passing of the time through nature. And, by these days, Rozan seemed to blow up in such a floral profusion, that I immediately perceived the arrival of Spring, which means that your birthday is around these days as well. So…_

 _HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHION! I wholeheartedly wish you a blessed life! May Athena always guide your steps and enlighten your wisdom, my friend!_

 _Well, since I don't have a calendar myself, I am not sure what day is today. Maybe your birthday is already over, I don't know. But I'll have this letter ready, so when the supplies arrive, I can deliver it to the messenger. I hope it gets to your hand on time._

 _Also, I have a gift for you! I made it myself. I hope you will like it. It's quite simple, indeed, since I had to use the material I had at hand, but it works. May this gift give you more energy and spiritual protection._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Dohko_

 _P.S.: What a surprise! So I finally met your pupil! Young Mu is a lovely boy, so polite! Looks strong and intelligent as well. He reminds me of you, somehow. And he is quite patient, as he is having some tea with me while I get this letter ready. He promised me that he would deliver this package to you on my behalf, and I trust him. Please thank him for me!_

 _P.P.S.: I was wondering… What do you think about me training a pupil? If you need me to do this, just let me know!_

Shion stared at those written words for a while, a smile in his wrinkled face. Putting the letter aside, he opened the box, finding a handmade bamboo wind chime in there. He finally understook what his friend meant by protection.

"Thank you so much, my friend. I'll treasure it."

He took the letter and the gift to his personal chamber and put his mask back on before heading to the Coliseum.

 **000**

"The Pope is coming!"

When Shion arrived, the apprentices were standing in line, hands behind their backs. Angelo had even combed his hair! What was going on?

But he quickly noticed Mu's absence.

Right after that, and before Shion could ask his question, Saga took a step forward. "Pope Shion, we would like to wish you a happy birthday."

"Oh. Thank you, boys. I am really surprised."

As the apprentices seemed to be uncomfortable and worried about his reaction to Mu's absence, a brief moment of silence fell on them before Antonio finally stepped forward. "Pope Shion, I hope you will like this." He gave the Pope a small clay statue shaped as an ox. It was painted gold, and its left eye was painted red. "This is a golden ox, and the left eye represents Aldebaran, the biggest star in my constelation. I wanted to give you this as a promise that you can count on me to protect Athena and honor the previous Taurus Saints!"

His determination touched Shion. "I don't have a doubt about it, Antonio. Thank you very much. I'll keep it on mind."

Antonio smiled, stepping back to his place.

Saga approached Shion. "Happy birthday, Pope." He handed the Pope a sheet with a green landscape filled with hills and streams. Looking closely, it became noticeable that the thick traces were made of _words_.

"Are these… verses?"

"Concrete poetry," Saga explained. "I was… kind of inspired that day, I guess. Do you like it?"

Shion gave it a read and spotted wishes of health, prosperity, wisdom and blessings from Athena.

 _Athena is the guide of Humanity, and you are Her hands. May the Goddess grant you a life full of happiness, peace and good achievements._

"This is beautiful, Saga! Lovely, indeed. Thank you!"

"You're welc-"

"Such a great poet and blah blah!" Angelo cut it off. "Let's hurry up with this! Here, Pope, happy birthday. Remember that I gave you a gift and give me a Gold Cloth in retribution!"

"Angelo!"

"That's okay, Saga." Shion put his gifts down to get Angelo's. The sheet of paper displayed a disturbing angry face drawn with black and red crayons. In its mouth, spots of red ink. "Ah… this is… what is this?"

"This is my masterpiece! It's called 'Deathmask, The Murderer'! Isn't it amazing?"

"It's quite… _impressive_ , indeed."

"Hang it on your wall and it will scare away all enemies, monsters, aliens, and stuff."

"Uh… I see. Thank you, Angelo. I'll keep it in my room."

"Heh!" Angelo returned to his place while Aiolia approached Shion.

"Happy birthday, Pope!"

"Thank you, Aiolia."

"I made a gift for you, too!" Leo showed him his drawing. "Look, this is me! I'm riding a lion, see? And this is the blue-haired monster of the sea, and I'm protecting you and baby Athena from him!"

Shion held his laugh. "A 'blue-haired monster', eh?"

Milo squinted, as he was blue-haired and had been training in a Greek island before coming to the Sanctuary. And he wouldn't expect any less from his _archrival_. "Hey, what monster are you talking about?"

But Aiolia simply showed him his tongue, getting back in line. Shion decided to put the drawing aside before any confusion arose.

"Uhn… I made you a gift, too." Shaka took a step forward. "I hope you will like it." He handed Shion a kind of rosary made of beads.

"You did this yourself?"

"Yes. This is a _japamala_. You can use it for meditation. It will help you purify your mind and keep bad thoughts and spirits away. I can teach you some _mantras_ if you want."

"Weeeeeird!" Angelo's voice echoed, but nobody cared.

"This is a really precious gift, Shaka." Shion held the _japamala_ carefully, feeling almost nostalgic. "Thank you very much. I'll keep it with me when meditating in Star Hill."

"I appreciate that, Pope." Shaka gave him a bland smile and quietly went back to his place.

When Milo, the next in line, approached Shion, he asked the Pope to get closer. "Uhn… Happy birthday, Pope. I made you this."

Milo tried to hide his gift away from the other pupils, but still Aiolia saw it. "Wait, what's this? You made him a _rag doll_?"

"This is not a doll, it's a _scorpion_ , you moron!" Milo flushed.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, kids." Shion tried to avoid an argument. "You made this, Milo? I'm really impressed with your skill."

"My teacher taught me how to use needles."

"Except if we're talking about injections, right?" Aiolia mocked him.

"You're worse than me!" Milo coughed. "Anyway, Pope, he said that it could be useful, you know."

"And he is right, Milo. I really like your scorpion, thank you."

Milo smiled and went back to his place.

"I bet you can't make a lion."

"Of course I can!"

"Then prove it! Make one!"

"If you want a rag lion, Aiolia, you can simply ask," Camus interrupted them, and Aiolia blushed. "But Milo, I want my polar bear first."

Milo smirked. "Don't worry, Camus, you're next."

Aiolos took a step forward, still laughing. "Ah, these kids!... Oh, happy birthday, Pope! I wish you all the best!" He gave Shion his self-made book. On the cover, decorated with a landscape picture, the title read: "Have a nice day, Pope Shion!"

Shion flipped through the book, spotting encouraging messages all over it. "Did you write the whole text?"

"All of it," Aiolos answered. "If you have a tough day, just open it. I hope these messages will help you face your problems."

"I appreciate that, Aiolos. Sometimes we get too absorbed in our duties and our mood pays the price. This is a valuable gift. Thank you."

"And these illustrations aren't just mine. I asked the kids to contribute some, too. In the end, this is a gift from all of us!"

"I drew the lion!"

Aiolos reassured his brother. "Yes, he already knows that, 'Olia."

Shion cackled. After thanking them once more, he turned his attention to Shura, who approached him.

"I made you a drawing as well." Shura gave him a sheet of paper with an illustration of Athena in crayon. Her long, purplish hair-as described in the stories Shura has been told about the previous Holy War-fell like cascades over her shoulders, and her eyes expressed serenity and determination. The goddess carried her shield in a hand and Niké in the other one, the same way as depicted by the majestic statue in the Sanctuary.

"This is amazing, Shura!" Shion admired the masterpiece in awe. "So realistic! Feels like I am staring at Her once again!"

Shura bowed before returning to where his colleagues stood, but seemed to be pretty glad with the reaction to his gift.

"My turn." Camus walked to the Pope, gifting him with a small canvas.

"Thank you, Camus. This is a marvelous painting!" Shion stared at the colored waves against a deep blue background.

"This is the _aurora borealis_ , or 'Northern Lights', if you will," Camus explained. "This is a common phenomenon in Siberia, where I used to train before coming to the Sanctuary."

"I always wanted to see this. Thank you, Camus, this is a beautiful painting."

"I'm glad you like it, Pope. If you wish, I can explain how this happens. When the solar wind-"

Aphrodite pulled Camus back to his place. "Thaaaank you, Camus, but we don't care."

Camus gave him an offended look.

"Now then, the best gift would have to be the last, of course! Pope Shion, I hope you will like it." Aphrodite handed him a bouquet of luxury roses. "They are not poisonous, I swear!"

"Of course they aren't," Shion replied with a smile. "They are gorgeous, thank you."

"And I made you a collage, too!" Aphrodite gave Shion a large sheet with leaves and flowers arranged gracefully, forming a garden in shades of red, green and gold. "And I'll build an even more beautiful garden when I take over the Pisces Cloth. This collage is my promise to you."

Antonio pointed out, "It may be the most beautiful garden ever, but if we can't walk by it because of its poison, that will not do!"

Aphrodite gave him a cold stare.

Shion decided to intervene before the tension increased. "I really appreciate all your gifts, kids. I'll treasure all of them. To be honest, I had no idea that you knew that my birthday was today, so I really wasn't expecting anything."

The children exchanged looks. Then, Saga decided to speak for all of them. "We didn't use to know it, actually. Mu told us."

"Did he?" His other question, about his pupil's whereabouts, remained implicit.

A moment of silence followed, until…

"I'm sorry, Pope!" Aiolia cried. "That's my fault!"

"What?" Shion was surprised. "What are you talking about, Aiolia?"

"Mu is sad because I ruined his gift for you!" Aiolia showed him the remains of the sand drawing. "I swear I didn't mean to! But I dropped water on it last night, and Mu got sad and ran away!"

"He ran away?"

"But he tried his best to gift you, it was an accident… Say something, Milo!"

"Yeah, that was Aiolia's fault!" Milo said, and Aiolia glared at him.

Shion tried to calm the kids down. "Don't worry, I am sure that was just an accident. Now I need to know where he is."

"We may try to find him," Aiolos offered.

But a soft voice said, "We don't need to seach for Mu."

"Why not, Shaka?"

"Because he's already here," Shaka answered, pointing to the other end of the arena.

 **000**

Mu looked miserable.

He was panting, sweaty, and his hair was disheveled. His face, hands and clothes were smeared with soot, and his eyes bore the noticeable fatigue of a slepless night. His unkempt appearence looked even worse when compared to the other pupils.

"Uhn… I-I am sorry… I lost track of time…" As nobody said a thing, Mu approached the group, bringing a small object in his hands. "I didn't know what to do. I went to the shed, trying to think… And I found some remains from my practices. Please, don't get offended, master. I did my best but couldn't finish on time…"

A small, golden medallion was put in Shion's hands. It was round and attached to a chain made of the same material. The imposing Aries ram was engraved on it in low-relief.

Antonio was astonished. "You did this in a single night?"

Shion didn't say a word. He stared at the medallion for a moment, his expression unreadable behind his mask.

"This is a beautiful gift, Mu!" Saga tried to cheer him up. "And we know that you've been working very hard."

"I need to go now," Shion said. "Thank you again. Mu, could you help me take all these gifts to my temple?"

"S-sure!" The apprentice hurried to gather the gifts.

"Have a nice training session, children." That said, Shion left the Coliseum, followed closely by a nervous boy.

Milo sighed. "Poor Mu… Do you think Pope Shion will punish him for his delay?"

"Don't worry," Aiolos answered. "Pope Shion is a good man. Let's get back to our training, kids."

 **000**

Shion and Mu passed through the Twelve Temples in silence. It was impossible for the pupil to know what the Pope was thinking, since his mask completely hid his face. But his own thoughts seemed to shout out loud in his head.

Mu was tired and nervous. It was clear enough to him that Shion asked for his help only to be able to talk to him in private, since he shouldn't need any help to carry those objects. Also, Mu knew that the worst scoldings were never performed in public. Maybe Shion was upset because Mu didn't present himself properly in the same manner of his colleagues in such a special occasion. Or perhaps he thought it was inappropriate to deliver Dohko's package to Arles instead of handing it directly to him, since it was, quite probably, a private matter. Or worse, he might be offended because Mu used metal waste to make his gift.

When they arrived at the temple, Shion kept walking through the main hall and Mu assumed that he was heading to his office. But he took another direction, toward the back of the temple.

"Come in, Mu." The Pope entered through double doors, and Mu found himself in the Pope's personal chambers.

He had never been there before. It was huge, with a large wardrobe and a bookshelf-although smaller than the one in his office, it was quite large, and probably kept the books his master liked to read before sleeping. A velvet curtain partially hid a neatly made bed, separating it from the rest of the chamber. Mu knew that his teacher was an organized man, but observing that organization in such a big room was quite impressive. There was also a desk in a corner, and two elegant upholstered armchairs facing each other, with a small table between them. A tray with plenty of food lied on the table-probably his teacher's breakfast.

"Please, put these things on my desk, and then wash your hands."

Mu obeyed his teacher, putting down the gifts and watching his teachter take off his mask.

"What a relief." Shion smiled at his pupil. "This mask is uncomfortable, you know. Oh, feel free to use my bathroom. Wash your hands and face, and come back here."

Although Shion's voice sounded gentle, that remark about his dirt made Mu feel almost reproached. He didn't even pay attention to the luxurious bathroom, washing himself up in the sink the best he could.

When Mu came back to the room, the Pope was hanging his new wind chime close to the window.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Shion stared at the chime for a while, as it swung and resonated with the Spring breeze. "Dohko sent it to me in that package. Sit down, please. Make yourself comfortable."

For Mu, that seemed almost impossible, but he quietly sat on one of the armchairs.

Shion turned away from the window, sitting in front of Mu. "Now then, Mu. First of all, and despite being late - and I'm really sorry for that - I would like to wish you a happy birthday."

Mu blinked, a little confused.

Shion realized that his apprentice was probably waiting for a reprimand, and the soft tone in his voice might have surprised the boy.

"Uhn… Thank you, master."

"Why so apprehensive, Mu?"

"It's just… I thought… aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I was late and sloppy, and my gift-"

"By Athena, Mu! You worry too much!" Shion laughed. "I am not mad at you, not at all!"

"Oh…" Mu felt as if a thousand pounds had just been lifted from his shoulders.

"Maybe you were wondering why I asked you to come with me." Shion scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I just wanted to spend a good time with my pupil, you know. But after going to the arena, I thought that I should've told you some more things about my life. For example, I think I've never told you much about my teacher, have I?

Mu shook his head. He was curious.

Shion took a cup of tea, seeming lost in memories for a while. "He was a difficult person, actually. Sometimes I even thought that he was nearly _insane_. But he was a good man, after all. Oh, please, Mu, help yourself! This is a breakfast for two, you know."

"I'm fine, master," Mu said right before his stomach growled. He blushed.

"I see." Shion's lips trembled in amusement. "Have some cookies, Mu, I mean it."

Mu clumsily picked up a few cookies. He was really surprised, but finally started to relax.

"Master Hakurei was quite the ornery man," Shion continued. "And I was always afraid of not being good enough for him. Anyway, I finally became the Aries Saint, and had to move out of Jamir and into the Sanctuary. So, I decided to give him a gift, so he would never forget me - maybe I was too proud of myself at the time. I had no idea what to do, when I found some spare materials in the shed, and made him a medallion. It was smaller than this one… and simpler, too, not this fancy."

Mu blinked. So his idea was not _that_ original. "And did he like it?"

"He said 'not bad' and continued to eat his meal."

"But-"

"But a few years later, when I met my teacher again, I spotted a little golden shine amidst his clothes."

Mu looked at his master. Shion had a gentle smile on his face. "How could I be angry at you, Mu? First of all, you tried to give me a good birthday, and not only bringing me Dohko's gift. You put all your effort into making this gift for me, and this is the essence of a good present in my opinion, as it conveys affection. You stayed up all night, and yet… this medallion is so elegant! Its shape, its meaning… it really shows your skills. Maybe it would be too arrogant of mine to assume that I've been a good teacher to you, but still, I did my best. Mu, I'm really proud of you."

Mu blushed, his eyes burning. He was definitely not expecting that and really didn't know how to answer. "M-master!..."

"Thank you, Mu. I'll treasure it."

Shion put the medallion on, and Mu smiled. "I'm glad you like it, master!"

"And I hope you will like _our_ birthday breakfast as well. I'm afraid that I won't be able to spend more than a few hours with you today, as I have plenty of duties to take care of. But I'm granting you a free day today. Get some sleep, rest a little."

"Thank you, master Shion. But I still want to give you that landscape anyway, I didn't give up!"

"And I'm looking forward to it. But now..." Shion smiled and raised his cup of tea for a toast. "Happy birthday to us!"

To anybody else, that might have looked like just an ordinary breakfast between the former and the future Aries Saint. But that short meeting was somewhat special for both of them.

 _(THE END)_ _TO BE CONTINUED..._

* * *

 **Additional notes:**

Hi, Boolafaz, hi, everyone! Are you still there? =P

This chapter was the "real" fic, I guess. I mean, I was only going to show them giving their gifts to Shion and that's all, but I'm way too wordy (as you surely noticed by now XD).

About Dohko's participation: to be honest, that was one of the first scenes on my mind. Okay, he is not an apprentice, but… we couldn't let him out, could we? For him (and for all characters), I tried to figure out what kind of present would be a best fit for their personalities and abilities (of course taking into account the materials they could have at hand), and well, I hope that I didn't disappoint you on this matter or something like that… x.x'' If I did, I'm truly sorry.

I'd originally planned to use an OC (soldier) to hand Shion his gift, or even have Shion simply find the package on his desk, but I'm not sure that Mu would leave such a personal package in random hands, you know? So Arles simply popped up in the scene XD I'd never wrote about Arles (or Ares, as you wish) before, so I'm not sure if I did it right. From the series, one would infer that he was a good person, and Shion fully trusted him (therefore, Mu would feel secure to give him something he would otherwise give to his master in person). Actually, I have this tendency to complicate everything. =P

And about the last scene between Mu and Shion, I really hope that it didn't turn out too mushy. But I like to imagine their relationship this way, almost like father-and-son. I may have exaggerated that, but… x.x

No, it's not over because I love epilogues! =P

 _Kissus,_

 **Lune Kuruta**

* * *

 **NOTE:** The final chapter will be posted tomorrow. Thanks for reading! **(July 17, 2015)**


	4. Epilogue: A Sweet Day

**Title:** A Special Day for Pope Shion - Epilogue

 **Author:** Lune Kuruta

 **Fandom:** Saint Seiya

 **Rating:** G

 **Word Count:** 937 (this chapter)

 **Characters:** Aries Mu, Pope Shion, Gemini Saga, Sagittarius Aiolos, and others.

 **Genres:** Gen, fluff, light humor

 **Summary:** Mu finds out that his teacher's birthday is coming soon. The future Gold Saints want to give the Pope good gifts, but they don't have any money. What are they going to do?

 **Warnings:** Author chooses not to warn.

 **Disclaimer:** Saint Seiya belongs to Masami Kurumada and Toei Animation. All rights reserved.

 **Notes:** Story written for the Secret Coconut, a fic exchange promoted by the community Saint Seiya Super Fics Journal (chapter originally published on **September 25, 2014** ).

* This fic is set before the beginning of the series, and the Gold Saints are still apprentices (therefore, they're not Saints yet). Aiolos and Saga are 13 years old; Deathmask, Shura and Aphrodite are 9; and Mu, Aldebaran, Aiolia, Shaka, Milo and Camus are 6. The younger ones might act a little more "mature" than typical 6 years-olds, but well… they're prodigies, anyway x.x

* Because of the time the story is set in, I've decided to give different names to some characters. Deathmask will be called " **Angelo** " (because I think that he would only change his name after getting his cloth, since it would be an inappropriate nickname for a child). Aldebaran will be called " **Antonio** " (because he would only become "Aldebaran" after getting the Taurus Cloth, thus honoring the previous Taurus Saints-I've borrowed this tradition from "The Lost Canvas". I hope you don't mind).

* By the way, any mentions to the past (Holy War, previous Saints and the such) come from LC!canon (therefore disregarding "Next Dimension").

* Revised by **Vane**. Thank you very much! =3

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4 - EPILOGUE: A SWEET DAY**

Shion definitely wasn't expecting a day like that.

After spending a short but good time with his pupil, he went to his office to take care of his duties. By noon, as promised, he handed Arles all the documents he had to sign. There hadn't been too much pending work to do anyway, since Arles was a responsible assistant, so he was not in a hurry. After lunch, Shion could check by himself how the Sanctuary was doing, visiting the Silver and Bronze Saints' lodges, Rodorio, and walking around.

The future Gold Saints were using the afternoon to study, whereas Mu was probably resting in the lodge. Shion stopped by, watching as the children listened to Saga and Aiolos talk about Ancient Greece. They were good teachers, indeed; natural leaders, even.

Each one of those kids had their own personalities traits and skills, and Shion was amazed at how they were able to explore them. One could think that those gifts in Shion's room were only children's activities, but that would be wrong: in each one of those presents, Shion could see a person in formation. Through those gifts - as simple as they might seem - Shion was capable of knowing them even better.

And maybe he should hire a psychologist for Angelo, but that was another matter.

The afternoon had reached that point when the sun would get pleasant, and the colors of the sky even brighter. Even though Greece was such a hot and dry place, Spring had its appeal anyway. Shion spent some time by an old, small fountain, and that place reminded him of good times. He felt quite nostalgic that day.

After resting for a while in such a beautiful place, Shion stood up. The night would be falling in two or three hours, and he had one more place to visit before returning to his temple.

 **000**

"I knew that you'd come."

"Of course I would. How are you?"

"The same."

"May I have a seat?"

Kanon shrugged. He didn't bother to get up from his bed, where he had been studying until the Pope arrived.

"Any news?"

"The. Same."

"But Saga came here to visit you today, didn't he?"

"We had lunch together," Kanon replied. "Not bad."

Shion sighed, looking down at his own mask in his hands. He didn't like to wear it in the presence of Kanon, as he felt that hiding his face from him wouldn't help in gaining his trust. "I know that you're upset, Kanon, but you need to understand."

"I do."

"But you're annoyed, anyway. Please, be patient. Each of us has his own mission on Earth."

"Even a _shadow_ does, right?"

"I wish I could change this, but I can't. But at least you can meet your brother. Did you know that most apprentices here don't have a family? And you do."

"Whatever."

"And you know that you can ask anything you need. You're not on your own as you think."

"Well, I appreciate that. Now then, did you come here to evaluate my skills?"

"Maybe tomorrow, but not today. I just wanted to pay you a visit."

"You always do that when you come back from Star Hill. You've been there, right? Saga told me."

"Yes, I have."

A brief moment of silence fell in the room.

"Do you expect me to get you some coffee? You'll have to wait."

"Oh, no." Shion seemed amused. "I'm fine. I only wanted to see how you were doing in my absence."

"I'm fine."

"I see." Shion stood up. "Well, I think it's time to go. I'm glad to see that you are doing well, Kanon. If you need something, send me a message through your teacher."

"Wait!"

Shion stopped halfway to the door, surprised.

Kanon had got up as well, and looked somewhat embarrassed. "That's… uhn…" He headed to his small cabinet, picking a large, round seashell from it and handing the object to Shion.

He avoided the Pope's gaze. "I told Saga I wouldn't make you anything, so that's it!" Kanon muttered. "But I was training at the beach yesterday and saw this, and I brought it with me. But if you don't want it, you don't have to take it."

Shion didn't say a word. He just held the shell close to his ear.

Kanon raised an eyebrow, confused. "What are you doing?"

"People say that you can listen to the sea through a seashell, did you know?"

"What-"

Shion smiled at him. "As a man from the mountains, I've always admired the sea as something almost unreachable. Now I'll be able to hear its sounds from my temple. This is a special gift, Kanon. Thank you!"

Kanon blushed a little, apparently at a loss how to respond to that. After a while, he cleared his throat. "If you're fine with this, then have fun."

"I will, Kanon. Thank you very much. You're really a good person, trust me."

" _Me_?"

The Pope only smiled, putting the mask back on and leaving the lodge.

 **000**

Those kids were really special.

After finally receiving Jamir's sand drawing from a smiling Mu and having dinner, Shion couldn't help but keep a light smile on his face until going to bed. He had done a lot of things, but he wasn't nearly as tired as he would normally be in other days. Actually, even though he had turned one year older, he felt almost younger than before. Receiving so much affection was refreshing.

Shion was too old to remember most of his birthdays. But that one had surely been his best in many, many years.

 _THE END_

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 **Additional notes:**

There, there, it's over now! XD

After including Kanon in the fic, I really needed to write this final scene with him. Did I make it too mushy? I'm really sorry x.x Actually, I was wondering if Kanon's situation was actually worse than Defteros' in Lost Canvas. I mean, nobody knew that Kanon even existed, and being isolated that way surely wasn't a good thing for a child. But, on the other hand, although being known, Defteros was bullied and mistreated as evil (that part was really heartbreaking for me n.n''). So I was thinking if Shion, knowing the sad story of the Gemini Saints from the previous Holy War, wasn't actually doing him good (or trying to) by preserving Kanon from the prejudice he might face. It might not be the best alternative, but that was what he could do at that time. That said, I think that Shion would try to get along well with him and offer him some support.

(Okay, this is only a "fluffy headcanon" for this fic, nevermind XD)

And yes, after resting a while, Mu finally remade his picture! \o/ He wouldn't give up on that, I guess.

Once again, I would like to thank **Vane** and **Anita** for their support, patience and encouragement. Thank you, thank you, thank you! *-* And also to you, dear readers! ;-)

I wholeheartedly hope that you liked this fic, Boolafaz! It's simple, but I tried my best. Thank you for your prompt and inspiration!

That's all, folks! (For now…)

 _Kissus,_

 **Lune Kuruta**

* * *

 **NOTE:** With this epilogue, I've finally finished with reposting my fanfics from the 9th round of the Secret Coconut. I really hope you liked it. Thanks for reading! **(July 18, 2015)**


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